Love Street (2002)

A handyman in a 1940s Paris brothel tries to help the prostitute he loves with her singing career and romantic life.

Director:

Patrice Leconte

Writers:

Serge Frydman (screenplay), Patrice Leconte

Stars:

Patrick Timsit, Laetitia Casta, Vincent Elbaz

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Timsit	...	Petit Louis
Laetitia Casta	...	Marion
Vincent Elbaz	...	Dimitri Josco
Catherine Mouchet	...	Léna
Isabelle Spade	...	Camille
Bérangère Allaux	...	Violette
Patrick Floersheim	...	Le Roumain
Manuel Bonnet	...	Homme Roumain 1
Pascal Parmentier	...	Homme Roumain 2
Dolores Chaplin	...	Dolorès (as Dolorès Chaplin)
Carole Esther	...	Carol (as Carol Esther)
Florence Geanty	...	Florence
Isabelle Le Nouvel	...	Isabelle
Sophie Le Tellier	...	Sophie
Céline Samie	...	Céline

Storyline

Having stayed on as a wartime handyman in Le Palais Oriental after being born there, Petit Louis has become immune to the charms of the working girls. Then Marion arrives and he is completely smitten. Feeling he is not the sort of romantic figure she deserves, he encourages a relationship between her and shadowy Dimitri Josco while also fostering her singing talent. As the war ends and the authorities close down all bordellos a strange triangular relationship develops, complicated by Dimitri's black market past.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | brothel | 1940s | singing contest | poker | 

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Taglines:

Watashi, koishiteru no [Japan]

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Naor's Friends: SMS Girl (2006)

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Soundtracks

Carioca
Music by Vincent Youmans
Lyrics by Gus Kahn and Edward Eliscu
Performed by Pierre Adenot
Courtesy of Universal Music Projects Speciaux France

User Reviews

One of those "saw it at the right moment" movies...

This movie caught my eye while I was channel surfing. I don't know what kept me from changing the channel despite the slow, unstructured plot - but I'm glad I stayed with it. The story is highly predictable, but I think they didn't try to avoid that. Instead, they tell the story in a very creative way. I can see why it would annoy those who like a very structured movie. But this movie is kind of like listening to a song without really caring about the words. Likewise, the story isn't really the point here, it's about the characters in the story.

Midway through the movie, I was pretty sure the lead actress was Casta, but I didn't even know she had an acting career. I look forward to seeing more of her. She was very graceful, above obviously beautiful, and helped center the rest of the cast. I really loved the sets and the costumes as well, and I believe this is the first time I've taken a line to mention this in a review. All these little things put together made it an enjoyable viewing experience, as long as you believe enough in the characters to want to know what happens to them.

You'll probably never seek out this film unless you're already a fan of Casta. But if the mood fits you right, or you simply like movies set in the '40s, this can be a very rewarding film.

Details

Official Sites:

ruedesplaisirs-lefilm.com [France] (French)

Country:

France Germany

Language:

French

Release Date:

13 February 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

Love Street

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,188,065

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ciné B, Cinéma Parisien, KC Medien

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1